Santiago de Chile occupies arguably the most spectacular setting of any world capital. Sprawled across the fertile Santiago valley, 100km (62 miles) from the Pacific coast, the city is dominated by the full might of the Andes mountains, which loom over its eastern suburbs. Indeed, Santiago’s 5.5 million residents are theoretically able – money and motivation permitting – to take a morning dip in the sea, followed by an afternoon on internationally renowned ski slopes.